Zrazy is a delicious culinary masterpiece that is quite difficult to prepare with your own hands.
Of course, it is not difficult to form them, but the products do not always retain their shape. Zrazy can crack and also fall apart during frying.
Let's look at the main mistakes, as well as tips that will help you get an appetizing dish.
Why do potato cutlets crack?
It would seem that what could be difficult in cooking potato zrazy? You just need to turn boiled potatoes into mashed potatoes, mold a flat cake from the mass and wrap the minced meat inside it.
However, during the frying process, the zrazy may become covered with unattractive cracks.
If we talk about the causes of the problem, the following points can be highlighted:
• you have chosen the wrong type of potato for mashed potatoes;
• you got a mass that was too liquid to form zrazy, violating the technology for its preparation;
• the puree turned out too dry, so the cutlets crack;
• you boiled peeled potatoes.
To cope with such a phenomenon, it is enough to follow simple tips:
• buy potatoes that remain whole when cooked;
• there is no need to add milk to the puree, so that the mixture does not turn out too liquid;
• when adding eggs to the puree, evaluate its consistency, do not use a large amount of such ingredients;
• do not peel the potatoes before boiling them, cook the root vegetable in its skin and remove the skin after cooling it slightly;
• add a small amount of flour to the dough, leave it for half an hour, because this is how a very important substance is formed – gluten.
These tips will help you avoid zrazy cracking while frying them. You will get an appetizing dish that all members of your family will appreciate.
Why do meat cutlets fall apart?
Zrazy, made from meat, are similar to stuffed cutlets.
It is necessary to approach the preparation of the mincemeat, into which you will put the main filling, responsibly. Otherwise, the zrazy will fall apart in the frying pan and become covered with cracks.
The main reasons for such problems are the following:
• you prepared minced meat that was too dry;
• there is too much filling and the shell is quite thin;
• you overheated the oil, as a result of which the products do not set, but immediately burst;
• you ground the minced meat too coarsely.
There are several rules that will allow you to eliminate the problems described above:
• grind the minced meat, installing a grate with small holes on the meat grinder; it is better to pass the meat through twice;
• add to the minced meat the same products that you use when preparing regular cutlets;
• when the minced meat is ready, beat it, as this will have a positive effect on its elasticity, making it easier to form the cutlets;
• cut the onion into very small pieces and fry it first, and only then add it to the minced meat.
If you want to make zrazy with an egg filling, take half of it. Then cut the product into very small cubes and mix it with chopped greens.
Tips for making perfect zrazy
There are subtleties that will help you prepare a truly delicious and mouth-watering culinary masterpiece. So, here are some recommendations from experienced cooks.
• Wet your hands with water before you start forming the zrazy. If your palms are dry, wet them again with water. Also, don’t forget to get rid of any stuck puree or minced meat.
• Bread the cutlets that are ready for frying in breadcrumbs. This will create a crust, so the pieces will definitely not fall apart in the frying pan during heat treatment.
• To prevent the mass for making zrazy from sticking to your palms, it is worth putting on gloves. You will get ideal blanks, on the surface of which cracks will not appear.
• You don’t need to form all the blanks at once if you are preparing such a dish for the first time. A few pieces to try are enough to understand whether you are doing everything correctly. Thanks to this, you will save the incorrectly prepared mass in a timely manner and will not spoil the culinary masterpiece.
If you follow all the rules for cooking zrazy, the finished culinary masterpiece will please all family members. Now you know how to surprise your loved ones on another day!
